At 8:00 A.M. on Wednesday, September 11, Assumption Roman Catholic Church, at 55 Cranberry Street, will have a memorial mass for the firefighters from the Engine Co. 205/Hook and Ladder 118 firehouse on Middagh Street, all those of whom responded on 9/11 died performing their duty, along with Fr. Mychal Judge, FDNY chaplain, who also […]

At 8:00 A.M. on Wednesday, September 11, Assumption Roman Catholic Church, at 55 Cranberry Street, will have a memorial mass for the firefighters from the Engine Co. 205/Hook and Ladder 118 firehouse on Middagh Street, all those of whom responded on 9/11 died performing their duty, along with Fr. Mychal Judge, FDNY chaplain, who also perished then and there.

There will be an all day event at the Brooklyn Historical Society, which will present, from 8:30 A.M. until 7:00 P.M., in real time “9/11,” a video accidentally made by Wolfgang Staehle that recorded all the events of the day from the vantage point of Brooklyn. Beginning at 7:00 there will be a panel discussion. Admission is free, but please RSVP for the video screening here and for the discussion here.

Notify NYC tells us that tomorrow, Sunday, September 1 and Monday, September 2 (Labor Day) 7 multicolored L-39 Jets and a blue and white Jet Provost will be conducting a flyover on the Hudson River in Manhattan on 9/1 from 10 AM to 6 PM and 9/2 from 10 AM to 3 PM for a […]

Notify NYC tells us that tomorrow, Sunday, September 1 and Monday, September 2 (Labor Day)

7 multicolored L-39 Jets and a blue and white Jet Provost will be conducting a flyover on the Hudson River in Manhattan on 9/1 from 10 AM to 6 PM and 9/2 from 10 AM to 3 PM for a photo shoot of the Statue of Liberty. The aircraft will fly at approximately 2,000 ft.

Unfortunately, the broad time frames don’t allow planning to view, but if you happen to see these brightly colored jets, you’ll know what they are and why they’re up there. As before, they should be easily visible from the Promenade. The photo (Wikimedia Commons) is of an L-39 Albatros of the Czech Air Force; the plane was designed and is built there.

The Eagle’s Mary Frost reports that local elected officials; federal. state, and local, have joined to sign a letter to New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, asking for clarification concerning the plans for repair or reconstruction of the cantilevered portion of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway below Brooklyn Heights and the Promenade. The […]

The Eagle’s Mary Frost reports that local elected officials; federal. state, and local, have joined to sign a letter to New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, asking for clarification concerning the plans for repair or reconstruction of the cantilevered portion of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway below Brooklyn Heights and the Promenade. The letter notes that Commissioner Trottenberg had said in June that there was “timeline slippage” on the project, the officials asked “what stabilization measures are being considered for the rapidly deteriorating triple-cantilever highway running under the promenade.” The letter also asked why the entire burden of the project was on the city, while the BQE is also under state jurisdiction.

DOT spokesman Scott Gastel is quoted as saying the Department will meet with elected officials to discuss their concerns. He also said the DOT is waiting for the recommendations of panel appointed by Mayor de Blasio to study the issue. The panel is now expected to release their report “in the fall.”

Ms. Frost gives a link to the full text of the elected officials’ letter: it’s here.

The Eagle’s Mary Frost reports that, this Thursday morning, August 22 at 9:30, four precision flying teams: the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds (photo); the U.S. Navy Blue Angels; the Royal Air Force Red Arrows; and the F-35 II Lightning Demo Team, will fly past the lower end of Manhattan. Approaching the Statue of Liberty, they […]

The Eagle’s Mary Frost reports that, this Thursday morning, August 22 at 9:30, four precision flying teams: the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds (photo); the U.S. Navy Blue Angels; the Royal Air Force Red Arrows; and the F-35 II Lightning Demo Team, will fly past the lower end of Manhattan. Approaching the Statue of Liberty, they will make a “sweeping right turn,” then proceed back up the Hudson. Don’t expect any spectacular aerobatic maneuvers. Those aren’t done over densely populated areas. Still, the brightly painted planes, trailing smoke – the American planes will trail white smoke while the British will trail red, white, and blue – should make an impressive sight.

The Town Hall convened just hours after a bombshell announcement by Mayor de Blasio that he has appointed a panel of experts to evaluate the various proposals for repair of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, thereby backing away from his earlier support of a City Department of Transportation proposal that would replace the Brooklyn Heights Promenade […]

The Town Hall convened just hours after a bombshell announcement by Mayor de Blasio that he has appointed a panel of experts to evaluate the various proposals for repair of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, thereby backing away from his earlier support of a City Department of Transportation proposal that would replace the Brooklyn Heights Promenade with a six lane highway for a period of at least six years.

At the meeting’s outset, Hillary Jager of A Better Way NYC (at left in photo, with Martha Bakos Dietz, President of the Brooklyn Heights Association) said she and other community representatives had met with City officials, who “said they want to take a fresh look” at how to deal with the BQE.

All of the elected officials and their representatives present expressed strong support for any alternative that would avoid either closing the Promenade for an extended period or diverting traffic to local streets. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson described the Promenade as “a treasure” and noted that the Council, along with the State Legislature, must approve any final plan. He observed that congestion pricing, just approved by the State, will likely cause less traffic on the BQE, and that the City needs to “re-prioritize” its policy regarding cars as opposed to public transit. Finally, he said the City Council will hire its own independent experts to evaluate options.

City Comptroller Scott Stringer also stressed the need to invest in public transportation: “That’s the future,” he said, “it’s not just about the BQE.” The City needs to break away from “the development outlook of the 1950s” and “stop building luxury towers.” Instead, we need to find how to make the City an affordable place for all, so that his young children would not be forced to leave New York.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said, “Don’t just think outside the box; destroy the box.” State Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon stressed the “need to look regionally” and noted the importance for reduction of truck traffic of restoring tolls in both directions on the Verrazano Bridge. This would require action by Congress. A representative from the office of Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez said he expected this to be included in an appropriations bill to be introduced in May of this year. State Senator Brian Kavanagh said the DOT “realized it made a fundamental mistake” by limiting its planning to solutions that stayed within the existing BQE right of way. He stressed the need to get all concerned agencies on board, including the MTA and tha Port Authority.